Before the Chicago Bears start thinking about the NFL draft, they must get through free agency first. GM Ryan Poles may not want to build his roster through the veteran market, but he still has to utilize it. He's obligated to improve the worst roster in the NFL however possible. The Bears have the most cap space of any team in the NFL. They're well-equipped to go after any free agent they wish. While they may not go on a spending spree, it's reasonable to think they can land a few top names. ESPN certainly thinks so.
Former NFL defensive back Matt Bowen listed who he feels are the top 50 free agents going into the spring and which teams they feel fit them best. His 7th overall choice is right tackle Mike McGlinchey, and his capabilities mesh perfectly with the Bears.
"McGlinchey didn't produce his best tape in pass protection last season, but he has the blocking traits at a premier position to upgrade a Bears offensive front that must do a better job of protecting quarterback Justin Fields. He wins with angles and the ability to get off the ball, and while McGlinchey's pass block win rate slipped to 89.6% this season, his run block win rate of 81.2% ranked fifth overall in the NFL."
Bowen wasn't done.
His 16th-best free agent was also a name the Bears should look into. That is Dre'Mont Jones, the talented defensive lineman who made a name for himself with the Denver Broncos over the past few years. Credit to Bowen for recognizing the scheme fit almost immediately.
"With edge/interior flexibility, Jones is a high-end mover who shows a quick first step off the ball and the short-area juice to penetrate versus the run game or create pass rush production. In '22, he registered 6.5 sacks and 28 pressures, and his pass rush win rate when lined up inside (15.9%) ranked sixth among all defenders."
ESPN got the positions right for the Bears.
Everything points to defensive tackle and offensive tackle being their two primary focuses when the market opens. It makes perfect sense. Those were two problematic areas throughout the entirety of 2022. Chicago gave up 55 sacks on offense, with neither Larry Borom nor Riley Reiff able to handle the right edge. The defense only had 20 sacks; barely half came from the defensive line. That is bad for any defense, but it's exceedingly terrible for a 4-3 scheme where the front four are required to apply most of the pressure.
Jones is a good choice by ESPN in this instance, especially with Da'Ron Payne looking like a possible franchise tag candidate in Washington. McGlinchey, on the other hand, is a tougher sell. While he remains a top-notch run blocker, he doesn't feel like a big enough upgrade in pass protection. Other options like Kaleb McGary or Jawaan Taylor are more accomplished. Maybe the scheme fit is the big sell for Chicago, but it seems they could do better talent-wise.
